The Illinois Associated Press has honored the WGLT News Department for Journalistic Excellence for the seventh consecutive year. For the third straight year, no downstate radio station won more awards than GLT. WGLT won five awards in this year’s contest, three first place honors and two second. The first place awards were Best Reporter (Willis Kern), Best Newswriter (Charlie Schlenker), and Best Newscast (3:54 P.M. GLT News). The second place awards went to Kern in the Best Newswriter category and to the GLT News team of Kern, Schlenker and Jim Browne for Outstanding News Operation.

This is news director Kern’s second award for being the state’s best downstate radio reporter. He also picked up the honor in 2003. Schlenker, GLT assistant news director, has won Best Reporter three times at GLT. Schlenker won first place honors for his overall newswriting for the fourth time in his GLT career. Over the past decade, GLT has taken fourteen first or second place honors in the coveted categories of Best Newswriter and Best Reporter. In the last five years the WGLT News Department has won 27 awards from the Associated Press for Journalistic Excellence, and 50 overall awards in the last decade.

“We’re thrilled that the Associated Press continues to recognize the depth and solid journalistic skills of GLT’s news department,” said General Manager Bruce Bergethon. “GLT listeners and the Bloomington, Normal, and Peoria communities are able to use this resource on a daily basis,” Bergethon said.

The Associated Press awards will be presented at this year’s Illinois News Broadcasters Association Convention in Springfield April 19.

WGLT is a 25,000 watt public radio station licensed to Illinois State University, heard at 103.5 and 89.1 FM. Founded in 1966, WGLT is part of the ISU School of Communication. As a National Public Radio affiliate, WGLT airs Morning Edition® and Car Talk®, along with other signature public radio programs such as This American Life®. WGLT also offers jazz and blues programming to listeners in Bloomington, Normal, and Peoria. Online streaming is available at www.wglt.org.